Devil's Den (cave)
Encyclopedia
Devil's Den is a karst window
, in which the roof over a subterranean river
has collapsed, exposing the water to the open surface, near Williston, Florida
. It is privately owned, and operated as a SCUBA diving
training and recreational facility.
The water in the underground river is a constant 72 °F (22.2 °C) degrees. In cold weather water vapor rising from the surface of the river forms a visible plume above the entrance to the cave, which suggested a chimney from Hell to early white settlers. The opening to the surface was originally a small solution hole
, through which visitors had to squeeze to reach the water. The opening was enlarged in the 1990s to ease access. The cave expands below water level (a shape described as an "inverted mushroom") to up to 200 feet (61 m) across. The water level in the cave has fallen along with the water table
in the area. The cave was opened to the public as a dive site in the early 1990s.
Four underwater passages extend from the pool under the opening, from 5 feet (1.5 m) to 90 feet (27.4 m) under the surface of the water. The passage called chamber 3, 70 feet (21.3 m) under water, contained animal and human remains and artifacts
. The animal remains, which appeared to be associated with the human remains and artifacts, were from extinct (pleistocene
) species, including mastodon
s, ground sloth
s, and camel
s. The human remains have been dated to about 7,500 BCE.
Karst fenster
Karst fenster is a geomorphic feature formed from the dissolution of carbonate bedrock where a spring emerges then the discharge abruptly disappears into a sinkhole...
, in which the roof over a subterranean river
Subterranean river
A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth ....
has collapsed, exposing the water to the open surface, near Williston, Florida
Williston, Florida
Williston is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 2,467.-Geography:Williston is located at ....
. It is privately owned, and operated as a SCUBA diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
training and recreational facility.
The water in the underground river is a constant 72 °F (22.2 °C) degrees. In cold weather water vapor rising from the surface of the river forms a visible plume above the entrance to the cave, which suggested a chimney from Hell to early white settlers. The opening to the surface was originally a small solution hole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
, through which visitors had to squeeze to reach the water. The opening was enlarged in the 1990s to ease access. The cave expands below water level (a shape described as an "inverted mushroom") to up to 200 feet (61 m) across. The water level in the cave has fallen along with the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
in the area. The cave was opened to the public as a dive site in the early 1990s.
Four underwater passages extend from the pool under the opening, from 5 feet (1.5 m) to 90 feet (27.4 m) under the surface of the water. The passage called chamber 3, 70 feet (21.3 m) under water, contained animal and human remains and artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
. The animal remains, which appeared to be associated with the human remains and artifacts, were from extinct (pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
) species, including mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
s, ground sloth
Ground sloth
Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths, in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. Their most recent survivors lived in the Antilles, where it has been proposed they may have survived until 1550 CE; however, the youngest AMS radiocarbon date reported is 4190 BP, calibrated to c. 4700 BP...
s, and camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s. The human remains have been dated to about 7,500 BCE.